Tips for a Day at a U-Pick Berry Farm

Spending the day at a U-pick berry farm is what living local is all about. It's a great way to save money on locally-sourced produce and to learn about what it takes to get food from the farm to your plate. There are a few mistakes we've made on a trip to the berry farm in the past, so here are some tips and items to bring along on your U-pick adventure.

We're definitely showing our soft city-kid upbringing, but here are a few of the things we've learned the hard way:

Bring a Big Container and a Small Container: The big container serves as the main vessel for your collected berries and the small one as a satellite to fill in small batches to add to the larger container. Nothing worse than picking a ton of berries only to trip and spill them all over the ground. At least if this happens with the smaller container your loss will be minimized.

Get and Stay Hydrated: You'll likely be out in the sun for several hours and it's dusty out in the berry patch, so get well-hydrated before you go and bring a water bottle for while you're out there.

Wear Good Closed-toe Shoes: We may have chosen to look cute on the farm over wearing practical shoes in the past, but never again. Those flip flops won't cut it in the mud, dust, and uneven ground. Wear something with a little support, a closed-toe, and that you don't mind getting dirty.